Avon Randolph Barksdale

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"Yeah, I ain't no suit-wearin' businessman like you. You know I'm just a gangsta, I suppose. And I want my corners."

- Avon Barksdale

Avon Barksdale is a former narcotics trafficker and leader of the Barksdale Organization in West Baltimore until December 19, 2004.

Avon is assisted by his old friend and second-in-command Stringer Bell and a vast organization of young drug dealers. He is interested only in controlling the drug distribution throughout Baltimore with nothing less than absolute power and believes that control of territory is the key to this objective. Throughout the series, he remains powerful running the distribution in and out of prison while dealing with conflict coming from his crew and the police. Avon is hot-tempered and very concerned with his image on the street. Although he is not as cerebral as Stringer, he is shrewd and intuitive.

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Born in 1970, Barksdale grew up in the terrace high-rises and avoided arrest, remaining a furtive but increasingly powerful force on the west side of Baltimore's Drug Trade. A former amateur boxer who once fought in a Golden Gloves Tournament, Avon was taught by his father how to survive in "the game" at an early age. He brought his friend, small-time thief Russell "Stringer" Bell, into the drug trade during their teens and took over the terrace high-rises during a gang war with a rival in 1999.

Avon's errant nephew and lieutenant D'Angelo had murdered Pooh Blanchard in public and was standing trial. Avon had Stringer Bell pay a witness named Nakeesha Lyles to change her story in court. D'Angelo was acquitted, but Avon chastised him for costing the organization time and money, and demoted him from the 221 Tower into the low rise housing projects know as "The Pit" to replace Ronnie Mo. Avon also arranged for "Bird" Hilton to murder a second witness, William Gant, who he had been unable to intimidate or bribe. The body was left on display, to send a message to people who might consider testifying against the Barksdales. D'Angelo was shaken by the murder and began to have second thoughts about his life, but Avon persuaded him to remain loyal to the family.

Avon was angered when The Pit's stash was robbed by legendary Baltimore stick-up man Omar Little, and he placed a heavy bounty on Omar and his crew. Wee-Bey Brice killed John Bailey, a member of Omar's crew. Omar's lover Brandon Wright was captured and tortured by Stringer, Wee-Bey, Bird and Stinkum. In response, Omar provides information of the murder of witness William Gant that leads to the arrest of a Barksdale enforcer, Bird, who is Gant's killer. Later after providing the information, Omar killed Stinkum and wounded Wee-Bey with a gunshot to the leg, culminating with a failed assassination attempt on Avon outside of Orlando's. Wee-Bey managed to save Avon at the last minute and wounded Omar in the shoulder, forcing him to retreat.

The Pit was also subject to police raids which seized a second resupply of narcotics and arrested a one-eyed blind carrier named Kevin Johnston and a dealer named Marvin Browning. The police also seized an entire day's profits from Wee-Bey, totalling $22,000 dollars. They also briefly seized a payment on its way to State Senator Davis but were forced to return it because of his political influence. The robbery and police activity combined raised suspicion that there was a leak in the pit, and an increasingly paranoid Avon ordered D'Angelo to remove the pay phones (which had indeed been wiretapped).

Barksdale's front man Orlando had been trying to become involved in the drug trade, and Avon angrily beats him, warning him that the only reason he was front man was because of his clean record for the liquor licence. Orlando persisted in trying to go into the business for himself, and was arrested by the state police. Avon promptly has his name removed from the club's license. Orlando agreed to aid the police in their investigation, and Avon sent Wee-Bey, Little Man and Savino to kill him. The job was complicated when they found a woman accompanying Orlando and Little Man panicked and shot her. Avon quickly learned that the woman was Detective Greggs.

The shooting of a detective led to a massive crackdown from the police. Savino was forced to turn himself in, but faced a sentence of just three years because he was not directly implicated in the shooting. Avon and Stringer held a crisis meeting with attorney Maurice Levy, who advised them to remove any possible loose ends. Avon ordered several murders, including unreliable enforcer Little Man, Nakeesha Lyles and a young dealer from The Pit named Wallace.

Avon finally incriminated himself on a hidden camera in his office and was arrested. He was sentenced to seven years incarceration. In prison, he is imprisoned with his Barksdale associates including D'Angelo, who is facing a twenty-year sentence for drug trafficking and refusal to cooperate, and Wee-Bey, who is serving life imprisonment for multiple counts of homicide.

Avon continued to run his organization from within the prison through Stringer. D'Angelo and Wee-Bey were imprisoned alongside Avon, both due to serve much longer terms. Wee-Bey informed Avon that a prison guard, Dwight Tilghman, was harassing him, in retaliation for the murder of a relative. Avon tried to reason with Tilghman, but the guard refused to talk to him. Knowing that Tilghman had a side line in smuggling narcotics into the prison, Avon contrived to supply him with tainted heroin, causing numerous deaths. When the warden began an investigation, Avon came forth as an "informant", accusing Tilghman of the crime. Narcotics were found in Tilghman's car, leading to his arrest. This results Avon's first parole hearing was brought forward in exchange for the information. Despite being the one ultimately responsible for the crime, he is due to be out of jail within a year. D'Angelo grows more distant from Avon, refusing to take part in the scheme, and seeming depressed, even turning to drug use. Without Avon's knowledge, Stringer has D'Angelo killed and the scene faked to imply suicide.

Because Avon's arrest was closely followed by the arrest of a Dominican supplier, the Domincans were suspicious that Avon might have named them to receive a lighter sentence, and the business relationship was brought to an end. Avon recommended secondary sources to Stringer but was unable to secure a quality product. Stringer suggested that they give up a portion of their territory to their rival Proposition Joe. Avon quickly dismissed the idea, reminding Stringer how hard they worked to seize the territory in the first place. Stringer decided to act behind Avon's back and allowed Proposition Joe to move in despite Avon's order. Avon responded by contracting the feared Brother Mouzone to defend his turf, which he forces Joe's lieutenant and nephew Cheese to depart from the towers area. After Mouzone had been shot by Omar (which Stringer arranged, behind Avon's back), Avon reluctantly agreed to Stringer's proposal.

While Avon is still in prison the high rise towers are demolished forcing the Barksdale organization to return to the streets for territory. Upon his release from prison, Avon is showered with gifts by Stringer: a nightclub, a penthouse apartment, expensive clothes, and a new SUV. Avon, while appreciative of Stringer's largesse, is outraged that Stringer has let their control over their territory slip as much as it has, and gets involved in a gang war with up-and-coming Marlo Stanfield. Avon employed a woman named Devonne through Slim Charles to find Marlo. She encounters Marlo in a bar, seduces him, and gives him her phone number so they can meet up again. When they later plan to meet up, it becomes clear that a trap has been set and Marlo's enforcer Chris Partlow shoots and kills a Barksdale crew member named Tater and wounds Avon in the process. Later, Marlo finds Devonne and shoots her dead in front of her home.

Avon and Stringer continue to clash over their leadership styles; Proposition Joe tells Stringer that he will withhold the quality product if Avon's war with Stanfield continues, but Avon believes that they will look weak. In a tense confrontation, Stringer suspiciously admits to Avon that D'Angelo's death wasn't a suicide and calmly admits that he ordered D'Angelo dead. At first Avon is in disbelief, but realizes and wrestles Stringer, which Stringer overpowers him and angrily admits his reasons why D'Angelo was murdered under his orders. Stringer then gets in contact with Major Colvin and provides him with evidence against Avon. Meanwhile, Brother Mouzone returns to Baltimore and demand that Avon tell him where to find Stringer. Knowing it will mean his friend's death but unable to find an alternative since he is ultimately enraged of Stringer ordering his nephew's death, Avon does so, and Mouzone along with Omar kill Stringer

Avon was ultimately arrested again; based on evidence that Stringer provided, police raided Barksdale's wartime safehouse and were able to put weapons and conspiracy charges on all those present. Barksdale has five years remaining on his earlier charges and returns to prison for violation of his parole.[1][2]

Avon's story of the first season itself mirrors real-life investigations of Baltimore drug traffickers like "Little Melvin" Williams, Chin Farmer, Cookie Savage, Warren Boardley and Linwood Williams, each of which writer Ed Burns played a part in.[3] The writers also drew from their experience of Baltimore in naming the characters. The Liberty Heights Barksdale family of five brothers is the source for the Barksdale family on the show.[4]